


Convicted

by PitFTW



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prison, M/M, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 22:09:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PitFTW/pseuds/PitFTW
Summary: If there is one good thing that Erwin Smith can say about working at the Saint Ymir’s Walled Penitentiary, it is the fact that there is always something to do. Between the inmate fights, pathetic attempts at asserting dominants, and ill-advised sexual escapades, the patient examination table in Erwin’s little room is very rarely empty.





	Convicted

If there is one good thing that Erwin Smith can say about working at the Saint Ymir’s Walled Penitentiary, it is the fact that there is always something to do. Between the inmate fights, pathetic attempts at asserting dominants, and ill-advised sexual escapades, the patient examination table in Erwin’s little room is very rarely empty. Then again, he muses as he is escorted once again through the dark halls towards his operating room, he would be lying to himself if he didn’t find it utterly dull by now. There were only so many times a man could operate on someone whose guts are literally spilling out of them before all the blood and gore and strange kinks of the inmates are little more than small blips on Erwin’s radar.

“You’ll want to be careful with this one,” his escort, a young man by the name of Moblit, says as they move past the large reinforced vault door that separates Erwin’s domain from the rest of the prison. “He’s probably the most dangerous guy they’ve ever nabbed. I seriously don’t think that even we will be able to hold him for long.”

“No death row?” Erwin asks feigning intrigue in his voice. Moblit’s warning are not new to him. Last week, he was to be careful of a little girl who, with nothing more than a bow and arrow and a potato, killed half her small village and flayed her own father. When they brought her in, she was murmuring things about how hungry she was and how thrilling it had felt to be hunting again. Of course, young Sasha was a dime a dozen when it came to the prisoners of Saint Ymir’s.

Moblit grimaces and shakes his head. “No. The judge thought that it was more appropriate he’d suffer for the rest of his life here than get a quick and painless death. So we’re stuck with him.” He hesitates, looking over his shoulder at Erwin as though he senses the other man’s boredom. This new prisoner would not be the first nor the last to be given such a sentence, out of some lofty judge’s misplaced sense of moral superiority. Better to just kill them, Erwin believes, because at least then, Saint Ymir’s would not be so crowded.

“I am sure the judge’s choice was sound,” Erwin says, glancing up briefly at the blinking red lights that line the halls. Trusted though he is, he is well-aware that in this world, trust means very, very little. One wrong slip and he can be spending time in a cell of his own. And to be frank, one of these days, he may attempt to alleviate his boredom by doing just that. “It won’t be the first time Saint Ymir gets a troublemaker.”

“Dr. Smith, I need to be honest with you,” Moblit says. Erwin notes dimly that his voice rises in pitch as he babbles on. “This guy… they stuck him in the Underground.” As soon as that dreaded word leaves Moblit’s mouth, Erwin feels the very air around them drop ten degrees. He stops, his interest piqued, one large eyebrow raised inquisitively at his escort. Moblit’s Adam apple bobs lightly in his throat as he shakes his head and keeps walking. In the dim light, Erwin barely notices the man’s hands trembling lightly.

Saint Ymir’s is no mere prison where all inmates are thrown together with the occasional few in solitary confinement. It is a prison meant to hold only the most dangerous members of society, ones so dangerous that any normal prison would surely burn from their mere presence alone. And that is not simply because of how absolutely deranged most criminals who come through Saint Ymir’s halls tend to be; rather, it is also because Saint Ymir’s specializes in keeping a single type of prisoner inside: superhumans.

Superhumans are those born with gifts beyond that of any normal person. Every single one of these gifts are unique and can range from anything, from having the bearer grow a tail to giving them complete control over the elements of fire and ice. For the most part, society has accepted these strange gifts and built itself around them, but every now and then, a gifted individual for one reason or another – perhaps out of hatred for society, out of their own delusions of grandeur, or out of mere stupidity – commits a crime. A little bank robbery or murder, however, is not how a superhuman would land in one of Saint Ymir’s cells. It is when these crimes are truly horrific, so terribly frightening and degrading of the very nature that made all people of this earth human, that Saint Ymir’s welcomes them.

The prison itself is a rather unusual shape. Rather than a single large, rectangular building, it is a series of smaller ones housed with three huge circular walls, each 50 meters high. It is because of these walls that, in a sense, Saint Ymir’s has castes. The more horrific the crime, the deeper into the prison one would be housed. However, it is rare that any prisoner be sent to the Underground – indeed, Erwin has only ever met one or two Underground prisoners in his entire career working at the prison – but if a prisoner were to be sent there, then it is a sure sign that they are not merely dangerous; they are agents of pure chaos.

“Do you have a file on him prepared?” Erwin asks, keeping his tone light, though there is no denying the faint hum of intrigue in his voice. If Moblit were to look over his shoulder back at the good doctor, he would say those famed blue eyes alight with some inner fire. But the guard does not look back; he merely shakes his head.

“There wasn't much we could get on him. He refused to talk and well, how do you make a file on a guy who technically doesn’t exist?” Erwin notes the fear in Moblit’s voice as he speaks – as well as a reluctant sense of awe. “They caught him near some warehouse in Trost. I guess he was standing guard or something, ‘cause they found his two accomplices too. Fight broke out, as you know… and the two got shot. He got pretty shot up too, but managed to survive, and-“

“And that’s why he’s here now,” Erwin finishes. “They managed to get him to a hospital on time to pull out the bullets, but once he found out that he was to be sent here, he fought and was punished for it. So you need me to clean up the mess you made.”

There’s a beat of silence as Moblit shuts his mouth, the tips of his ears blushing a brilliant red. Erwin allows a small, satisfied smile at the man before brushing past him towards the patient observation room. He easily slips a cloth mask over his face as he enters.

Erwin’s room is perhaps the cleanest in the prison. It has to be, after all, else Erwin would refuse to operate. He makes sure that the room is kept almost sterile every morning so that he can work well into the night. More than once, he finds himself in the rather awkward position of having to perform an immediate operation while the floor of his room is still covered in the fluids and filth of an earlier patient; in all of those cases, he makes sure that his patient never touches the floor.

Speaking of his patients, this latest one is perhaps one of the more intriguing ones Erwin has run into. The moment he sees who his latest patient his, he pauses, hovering over the man like a bird of prey. Blue eyes rake greedily over the slim, prone body before him, his breath quickening as he realizes who this man is.

Levi Ackerman. Azrael. Humanity’s Strongest – and most dangerous – Superhuman.

Erwin, like the rest of the world, knows very little of Ackerman’s past. He knows only that Levi appeared one day, standing in opposition to all the best heroes in the world, and defeated them. A deceptively simple task for such a complex man with an even more complex gift. It fascinates Erwin more than frightens him; and perhaps it is because of that effect on him that Erwin is gentle as he begins to carefully lift Levi’s extremities, turning them every which way to examine them as best as he can with the strong steel restraints that hold Levi down.

With how strongly sedated the man is, he shouldn’t wake up for another six hours. And perhaps that is for the best – at this rate, he would be in so much pain that he may simply beg for death instead. All over his pale yet well-built form are dark scars, ones that are littered all over his chest and legs. His right arm juts out of his shoulder at an odd angle - no doubt disjointed – and a large purple bruise adorns his cheek. Dried blood falls from his nose and, to Erwin’s disgust, he finds three bullet wounds on Levi’s chest that are only half-healed, with black bullet shards still stuck in the near-infected skin. He needs to operate on them now, else Levi dies in a horribly painful septic shock. What sort of doctors treated him before that they would be so sloppy? Those who had long forgotten their Hippocratic oaths, no doubt.

As he moves his surgical tools closer to Levi, he takes the opportunity to more closely examine the face of the world’s most dangerous criminal. There is an odd, cold beauty to the face, with skin so pale that he seems ethereal, thin pink lips slightly parted from slumber, and long black lashes that lay so gently across his cheeks. With his high cheekbones and raven hair, Levi looks every inch the Angel of Death from whom he takes his name. When he removes the shards of bullet from the wounds and cleans them, Erwin pauses for a moment and considers how unethical it would be for him to lift Levi’s eyelids and examine the color of his eyes. Black would be a fitting color. Or grey. Or perhaps silver.

It turns out, however, that he does not need to wait long to discover the color of Levi’s eyes. As he dresses Levi’s injuries one last time and prepares to call the guards in to take the man to the solitude of the Underground, he feels a new pair of eyes on his back. Turning around, his blues flick down to meet his patient and he quickly discovers that Levi’s eyes are indeed grey, but they also hold the faintest trace of silver deep within them. They are the eyes of a superhuman, one who has seen the most disgusting parts of the society in which they live and who would do anything to defy it.

They hold the stare for a few moments, neither man moving. Erwin does not because he is breathless; Levi is somehow even more breathtaking now than he was while unconscious. It is something about the movement of his face – so statuesque and yet so full of life – and the cold gaze of his eyes. His expression is utterly unreadable but soon enough, Levi’s lip curls into a sneer, those grey eyes suddenly alight with a fire that Erwin knows only comes from those truly rare individuals who are destined to shake the very earth they walk on.

“And here I thought I would hate Hell,” he says. His voice is quiet, yet sharp. He sounds almost bored of Erwin’s face already, yet his eyes retain that grey fire Erwin admires so much. “But if Hell has angels and rooms this clean, then I guess it won’t be too bad.”

“This place is certainly no Heaven,” Erwin replies carefully, training wary blue eyes on the man before him. Beautiful and small though Levi is, Erwin knows enough of his reputation to understand that, regardless of how he looks, Levi is still extremely dangerous. “And I’m afraid I must tell you that where you are going won’t be nearly as clean as this.”

That pale face betrays no emotion. Not even the bruise on his face undulates as Levi stares. Then, he groans and shakes his head. “The Underground. Of course they stuck me in there.” A pause. “Would it kill them to at least give me the cleanest room down there, or do I have to fight the toughest guy down there to get it?”

“I wouldn’t advise fighting anyone,” Erwin says. “That collar around your neck prevents any sort of gift from activating. And while I’m sure that you’re a great fighter despite your size, even you won’t be able to last long against some of your fellow prisoners down there.”

Levi’s grey gaze narrows, but he says nothing, obviously taking the doctor’s advice into account. Erwin notes that, for a brief moment, Levi’s fingers curl against the operating table, as though itching to rip off the restraints that held him there. There would be no way for him to do so, of course; without his gift, Levi would not be able to rip or burn through the steal. He wouldn’t be able to do anything, in fact.

The world does not quite know what Levi’s gift truly is. It seems to vary every time he commits a crime. One heist, he would have super strength, the next, he would be dissolving walls with acidic spit. The only thing that remains consistent is that Levi himself is quick and efficient at his work. He leaves only one survivor behind in every single one of his crimes, maimed so much that they would be unable to function normally again, but alive so that his infamy would spread. It is a cruel creature that lives behind those grey eyes, one so cruel that a judge saw it fit to condemn him to The Underground, rather than give him the gift of death.

“Guess I’ll need to behave if I’m ever gonna get transferred out of that shitty place, huh?” Levi asks, breaking Erwin from his thoughts. He is laying back down on the table, staring up at the ceiling. His grey eyes stare with disinterest, but the cold fire is still there.

Erwin pauses before shaking his head. “The chances of that happening are slim to none. Good behavior gets rewarded, but never to that extent.”

At that, Levi smiles, and once again, Erwin is left breathless by the cruel beauty of it all. This is a smile that does not bare his teeth, nor does it truly reach his eyes. He is not a wild animal in this moment; he is something so much crueler than that. “We’ll have to see, won’t we?”

Before Erwin can answer him, he is gone, wheeled away by a pair of armed guards.

* * *

The next three months pass by slowly, with Erwin once again falling into the routine of seeing patients, avoiding all prisoner conflicts, and in general being bored out of his mind. Every now and then, he walks into his room, half-hoping to see raven black hair and silver-grey eyes, but each time, he’s disappointed. Levi’s frozen fire, the cruel beauty of his smile, haunts him, despite his best efforts to forget.

He busies himself with his patients, dedicating even more of his precious time to them. He watches and waits as little Sasha Blouse becomes close friends with young Connie Springer, and together, they keep their own violent tendencies in check. Much to his pleasure, Jean Kirstein transfers from behind Wall Rose and enters the “welcoming” folds of Wall Maria instead. Here, he finds solace in Marco Bodt, one of the many guards working the prison, and they strike up a strange friendship. Erwin can almost swear that, every now and then, he catches Bodt sneaking a cigarette or two through to Jean’s tiny cell.

Today, Erwin finds himself sitting at the very edge of the wall, watching from behind the strong bulletproof glass as the prisoners – he prefers to think of them as long-term house guests – go about their day. With newspaper and coffee in hand, he’s sure that he looks as though he is merely waiting for the next train to Trost instead of keeping an eye on the world’s most dangerous criminals. Next to him sits Dot Pixis, warden of Wall Maria. A tall man with a shining bald head and well-kept moustache, Pixis gazes upon his wards with surprisingly twinkly eyes for a man who deals with such horrible people on a daily basis. Erwin can’t help but wonder at times what fine line prevents Pixis from being locked up alongside them.

Wall Maria is the first of the three walls, housing the least dangerous of Saint Ymir’s criminals. Under the command of Dot Pixis, it houses murderers of all kinds. From Sasha Blouse’s small massacre to Jean Kirstein’s slow, yet deliberate torture of his own mother, Wall Maria welcomes them all. If Saint Ymir’s is Hell, then Wall Maria is the seventh circle; crimes of violence are housed here.

“You’re staring at them more creepily today than usual,” Pixis notes, breaking the silence as he munches on a fruit cake Erwin is sure is at least two years old. “What’s on your mind?”

“Mm?” Erwin looks up from his newspaper, his face quickly morphing into an expression of feigned surprise. He doesn’t know why he bothers doing this. Unlike the other guards, Pixis can read him like a book. “Did you say something, Dot?”

“You know, if you are well and truly itching for it, I can arrange someone to escort you to the Underground,” Pixis continues, the twinkle in his eyes growing brighter. “I’m sure our guests down there would love a pretty face to chew up.”

“You know, if it weren’t for the fact that I saw you open up that fruit cake two Christmases ago, I’d think you were munching on human remains from the way you talk,” Erwin says. “But… no. I’ve no interest in going down there. The prisoners are down there for a reason. They’re agents of chaos unto themselves.”

The words come to him so easily. Erwin hears them so often, is forced to repeat them again and again, and simply has them carved into his mind by now. There is a reason for it; an incident only a few years before Erwin joined Saint Ymir’s comes to mind immediately. A prisoner and a guard. Mutual desires led to a relationship, which in turn led to near-disaster. The guard had been found dead, the victim of a lover’s spat. The prisoner had plunged into the labyrinth-like halls of Saint Ymir’s, eventually perishing somewhere no prison staff could ever find her. It is rumored that her spirit still haunts Saint Ymir’s halls, calling out for the guard and begging forgiveness.

“So we all say,” Pixis replies, setting aside the rest of the fruit cake and neatly ridding his mustache of the crumbs. “But I won’t lie, I wouldn’t mind being dragged down there if it means I’ll die at the hands of a stunning lady…”

“You’ll meet a fate much worse than death first,” Erwin says. “And even you should know that there are no stunning ladies down there.”

“You’re right. But there is a stunning man, isn’t there?” Pixis asks. Immediately, Erwin snaps his gaze to meet Pixis’, nearly recoiling at the twin stars shining in the man’s eyes. “Don’t worry. I don’t swing that way. He’s all yours.”

Erwin doesn’t dignify him with a response.

* * *

When he next meets Levi, it is alongside another prisoner. Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman came into Saint Ymir’s as a pair, but it is after examining their criminal records that Warden Darius Zackley chooses to separate them, sending Eren to Wall Rose while Mikasa is sent to the Underground. The ruling devastates Mikasa, so much that she fights and lashes at the guards all the way to the Underground. A simple tranquilizer sedates her, but only until she reaches the Underground; the moment it wears off, she is lashing out once again, desperate to break free of her bonds and guards so she can escape and find Jaeger.

The guards, stupid as they are, had opened fire on her. Levi had unfortunately been caught in the crossfire. As Erwin reads the report, his lip curls in disgust. Two of Levi’s still-healing bullet wounds had opened as a result, and he had gained two new ones. In addition, the guards had hopped upon both prisoners in the ensuing panic. Both Levi and Mikasa had been beaten beyond belief, but not before they inflicted many, many severe injuries of their own onto their attackers. Two guards walked away with broken arms and ribs. The other six would not be walking for a very, very long time.

It takes moose tranquilizer to sedate Mikasa, but Levi willingly goes without a fight. Both prisoners are strapped down to gurneys and wheeled to Erwin’s room. He is to take minimal care of them, then send them back to the Underground. In regard to Mikasa Ackerman, he must also find a way to placate her; Zackley will not budge on separating her and Eren. It is with a small amount of interest that Erwin makes note of her last name. A relative of Levi’s, perhaps?

He finds the two arguing when he enters the examination room. Levi is glaring at Mikasa, who seems to be doing everything she can to tune him out. Neither Ackerman seems to notice him. Erwin remains quiet as he walks to the side and starts preparing his medical tools, trying his best not to listen in too much, but unable to help himself.

“- a spoiled fucking brat,” Levi snarls, his grey eyes boring holes into the girl’s still form. “Can’t you just behave for once in your goddamn lifetime!? No thanks to you, they’re probably going to put us _both_ in solitary for a while!”

“You don’t understand. You don’t understand at all,” Mikasa replies. Her voice is low, a bit breathy, and lacks the musical undertones that edge around Levi’s. “You don’t know who Eren is to me… what he represents-“

“Don’t come at me with that blood-bond bullshit,” Levi said. “Even if it’s real, it’s not relevant right now. If you behave, they might transfer you to Sina, and then you’ll have a chance to-“

“It’ll take too long!” Mikasa nearly shrieks, her voice breaking as she yanks and tugs at the bindings holding her down. “I need Eren _now_!”

“What you need is a spanking and a ten-year grounding,” Levi spits back. “Now shut up and let Dr. Smith work on us before you make things worse.”

Erwin takes that as his cue to step in. The two prisoners turn their gazes upon him as he approaches, causing him to note that they both have nearly identical grey eyes. But where Mikasa’s are burning with the fiery hate and passion of her youth, Levi’s remain cold and unyielding as always. In fact, Levi’s entire body is a tense, cold cord, ready to spring into a fight at any time. Were it not for the strong steel bars binding him to the table, there is no doubt in Erwin’s mind that he would be able to spring free of Saint Ymir’s at any time he chooses.

He turns first to Mikasa, who is by now merely glaring at Levi, seething in silent anger. He carefully turns her face towards him, making note of the large, yet shallow cut underneath her right eye. It is not bad enough to require stitches, but there is no doubt in Erwin’s mind that by the time it heals, Mikasa will bear a scar in that same spot. He cleans and carefully bandages the wound before examining her arms, noting that almost all the fingers on her right hand are dislocated and splayed at odd angles. No doubt, one of her infamously powerful punches had landed wrong on a guard’s armored helmet. He sets to work resetting them one by one, not reacting when she lets out tiny whines and winces with each one.

The tension in the air is absolutely palpable, though the Ackermans say nothing to him nor each other. It makes for an extremely uncomfortable work environment. For once in his lifetime, Erwin is unsure of what to do – should he attempt to make conversation with either of them? Or should he simply let this silence stay?

Levi, thankfully, answers his question for him.

“We’re distant cousins or some shit,” Levi says. He indicates Mikasa with his nose, causing her to make a noise that sounds very much like a low growl. He pauses and waits for Erwin to start examining a large gash across Mikasa’s thigh before speaking again. “She and I don’t work together, though. Her boy toy’s the one that controls their whole criminal operation.”

“ _Eren_ is not a toy,” Mikasa says, the dangerous edge in her voice growing with each passing word. “He is my blood-bonded. My soulmate. I’m already one of the strongest superhumans in the world, and he makes me stronger. I must protect him-“

“He _should_ be strong enough to protect his own sorry ass,” Levi interrupts with a roll of his eyes. Erwin finishes wrapping up Mikasa’s thigh, then takes a step back and walks over to the sink to wash his hands. “He shouldn’t need you as a babysitter, blood-bond or not.”

“How about I break your legs next time we-“

“What is this blood-bond you two keep talking about?” Erwin asks, narrowly avoiding disaster as he watches Mikasa’s body stiffen, then relax. The collar around her neck prevents her gift from activating, but there is no doubt in his mind that if anyone can overcome the collar through sheer willpower alone, it would be Mikasa Ackerman. “I’ve never heard of such a gift.”

“It’s a curse more like. Turns you into a dirty animal,” Levi says, rolling his eyes as Mikasa lets out another snarl. “Just look what it did to her. She was a prim and proper lady before she met Jaeger.”

“It made me _strong_ ,” Mikasa hisses, her delicate facial features twisting and morphing into some imitation of a sneer. Erwin feels a chill run down his spine as he stares at the expression, noting dimly that the temperature of the room has suddenly dropped several degrees. “Stronger than anyone. Stronger than _you_.”

“You’re about as strong as Uncle Kenny’s week-old noodles,” Levi drawls. “Limper than Dr. Smith’s dick.”

Erwin opens his mouth to protest, only to shut it with a snap. The noise causes both Ackerman’s to turn to him. He shouldn’t take the bait. He shouldn’t sink to their level. He’s better than this. Without another word, he picks up his medical tools and moves to Levi, carefully cleaning and stitching the shorter man’s bullet wounds. A warm shiver runs through him when he feels those stormy grey eyes upon him, but he says nothing, concentrates only on his patient.

“It’s a gift unique to our bloodline,” Mikasa says after a time. Perhaps she is growing bored. “All Ackerman gifts are strong… and our blood-bond makes us stronger. It is a superhuman whose gift is perfectly compatible with our own.” She flashes a gentle smile now, one that almost manages to hide the horrible psychopath that she truly is behind the guise of a gentle lady. “Eren can grow to enormous sizes and I-“

“Am a fucking superpower amplifier,” Levi finishes. “So you make him a thousand times stronger, faster, more durable…” he smirks. “And stupider.”

Immediately, the gentle smile gets wiped off Mikasa’s face and she is back to glowering at her relative, grey eyes flashing dangerously. “If we weren’t tied down right now, I’d skin you alive and wear it as a scarf.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Levi counters almost lazily. “You’d never get rid of things he gave you. Besides, I was mistaken. He probably doesn’t need your help to get stupider.” He turns his gaze once again on Erwin, and for a brief moment, Erwin nearly drowns in those cold greys, his throat going dry. How many times has someone been this close to Levi’s cold beauty and lived to tell the tale? What’s more, how many people have managed such a feat more than once? Erwin hopes he’s the only one.

“You’ll understand my feelings once you find a blood-bond of your own,” Mikasa whispers, easily snipping the delicate thread of their shared gaze. “I’m shocked that you haven’t found your bonded by now… unless…”

The change in her expression is almost painfully slow. At first, she is just as cold as Levi, with the same deep scowl on her face and downward curl of her lip. Then, a cold silver light begins to shine in her eyes, the corners of her mouth slowly lifting into a truly horrific grin. It is so wide and so bright that it nearly splits her face apart. Her pale skin seems to turn white as her eyes widen, casting the silvery light inside them into even greater relief.

Then, the laughter starts. It comes out as a mere giggle at first, before it transforms into uninhibited peals of laughter. Erwin feels himself gripping on to the edge of Levi’s gurney to keep himself standing, his heart hammering in absolute terror at the sight before him. Mikasa bends forward over the steel bars keeping her down, manic laughter falling from her lips as she twists and writhes in her bonds. She is unable to speak, barely able to breathe, but she can most certainly cry; Erwin nearly cries out in surprise when he sees that the silvery lights in her eyes are beginning to fall as tears.

The guards come quickly. Perhaps one of the wardens had decided to tune in to Erwin’s examination. Or perhaps Erwin had sounded an alarm at some point. Either way, Mikasa is only allowed to cackle for another two minutes before she is rushed out, still quaking with mirth. Levi, too, is quick to be rolled out, his dark gaze never leaving Erwin. As the doors closes behind the leaving guards, Erwin cannot help but find himself staring at the space Levi once occupied. He misses the man already.

* * *

The next week, Erwin finds himself playing chess with two of his favorite prisoners: Hange Zoe and Mike Zacharius, both of whom occupy tiny cells within Wall Sina. Wall Sina is the innermost section of Saint Ymir’s and only a step above the Underground. The criminals housed there are kept in Sina’s embrace not because of violence to others or treason against the government like Maria and Rose, but for crimes against human nature. Oftentimes, these prisoners are absolutely brilliant individuals, who channeled their talents towards lofty goals that violated the very laws of humanity, rather than towards bettering the world or satisfying their own pleasure. Despite their actions breaking every inch of the Hippocratic Oath Erwin holds so dear, he cannot help but somewhat respect these men and woman; their brilliance is something to be admired, and a near match for Erwin’s own.

“You know, I absolutely love it when you come visit us,” Hange says as she moves her knight to F6. “You always have the best stories and you actually treat us like we’re people.” Her smile is big and bright, yet her eyes remain cold as Erwin’s bishop takes her pawn at A3. “Makes me almost forget why I got put in here.”

“Need I remind you that your supervillain codename alone should be able to jog your memory?” Erwin asks playfully. He raises an eyebrow as Hange greedily castles her king and rook. “Dr. Mengele… you couldn’t have chosen a less horrible name to adopt?”

“I admire the guy’s curiosity,” Hange says airily. “And take inspiration from his experiments. What can I say? Superheroes are a dime a dozen and there just isn’t enough scientific literature on how their bodies work. Now, if I just adopt his experiments and modify them so that they fit superheroes-“

“You further the field of superhuman science,” Mike finishes for her, sniffing slightly when Erwin moves his queen to R5. Bad move. Hange immediately takes her with her pawn. “We don’t need the three-hour rant again.”

“You boys are no fun,” Hange says, pouting. Her pout deepens when her own queen is taken by Erwin’s knight. “But enough about me and my genius experiments. How are things on your end, Erwin? Heard you’ve been busy with the newest addition to Zackley’s collection…”

“You mean Levi?” Erwin asks, mentally cursing himself for sounding too eager, for answering too quickly. Mike and Hange, intelligent as they are, catch on immediately, Hange bursts out in a small giggle fit while Mike merely raises an eyebrow. Hoping to save himself, Erwin clears his throat before continuing. “Yes, I… I’ve treated him recently. Only twice.”

“Ohhhh man, Dr. Smith,” Hange laughs. She moves pawn to B6 as she speaks. “You have it _bad_.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking ab-” Erwin manages to say before Mike sniffs and rolls his eyes. Ah. He had almost forgotten. The superhuman lie detector. “Erm… it’s unprofessional.”

“The heart doesn't care anything about being unprofessional… or anything for that matter,” Hange says cheerfully. “Nope, as long as it keeps beating, it’s healthy. And frankly, I’m pretty sure that if it weren’t for the fact that you’re 100% watched in your examination room, you’d be all over that guy. Not that I’d blame you. Pretty face, great body…”

“And I heard he has a really sharp personality,” Mike finishes. He’s pulled out a deck of cards now and is shuffling them curiously. “Exactly your type.”

“My type?” Erwin asks.

Mike taps the side of his nose. “Could smell it on you the day we met. You and… Marie, right?”

To that, Erwin has no words. Mike’s gift is one of the most dangerous in all of Saint Ymir’s, and so powerful that even the black collar he wears around his neck only serves to dampen his powers, not to cancel them out completely. Mike’s gift may not be one that kills millions upon activation, but it is almost certainly even more deadly: from a single sniff, he knows all the secrets of a person – perhaps learning more about them in that instant than the victim will ever learn about themselves in a lifetime. His arrest, it is rumored, is a single step in a much grander plan. There are those that they that these past ten years, he has merely been biding his time in Saint Ymir’s, waiting for the right time to strike.

“Gotta say, she and Levi seem different as night and day,” Mike continues. “She’s all sunshine and elegance, but Levi’s more like the rabid cat you’d find in the back of an alleyway. But they do share one thing in common…” he looks at Erwin, raising an eyebrow. “And I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Erwin bows his head. There is no denying it: the cruel, cold fire that once burned in Marie’s eyes is a near carbon copy of those that burn in Levi’s. However, years of being interred in Saint Ymir’s eventually broke Marie, and Erwin still hears to this day how she took the experimental drugs to give up her gift and now lives the life of a normal housewife. Levi, Erwin knows, is different; the cruel fire that burns in his eyes is the sort that can never be doused. The flames draw Erwin to their light, like a curious fly, and Erwin is all too happy to give in. Levi is perhaps even more dangerous to Erwin’s job than Marie; Levi carries with him a dignity and graceful beauty that even Marie could never match. Erwin would charge into Hell for Marie. For Levi, he would bring Hell to Earth.

“Checkmate,” Hange says cheerfully, smirking as she gestures to the chessboard. “That’s 401 losses and 400 wins, Dr. Smith. I believe you owe us both a nice bottle of wine now.”

Erwin scowls at the chessboard as he folds up his newspaper. “Red or white?”

* * *

Six months later, despite nearly every guard complaining about how terrible of an idea it is, Governor Rod Reiss allows both Levi and Mikasa to be moved from the Underground. Levi stays in the confines of Wall Sina whereas Mikasa joins Eren Jaeger in Wall Rose. Despite Levi’s obvious natural ability to behave, he somehow always seems to get into a fight; it is Erwin who must treat every single one of Levi’s victims. Erwin quickly discovers that, even without his gift, Levi is able to more than hold himself in a fight. He is wicked fast, extremely agile, and quite strong.

However, even Levi seems to have his limits, and it is when the biggest prisoners realize that they strategically need to gang up on him, he finally gets injured. Over the course of the next three months, Erwin sees Levi no less than four times. Each time, their interaction is much the same: Levi allows him to work in silence for a time before they strike up a conversation. After an hour or so of them talking and Erwin working, Levi is rolled away to Wall Sina, and Erwin finds himself missing the man more and more.

He learns a lot about Levi, perhaps more than he should know: Levi was born of a prostitute mother and an absent father. His uncle, the infamous villain known as Kenny the Ripper, took him in and taught him how to fight. Kenny’s gift, it turns out, is a simple ability known as Sharpshooting; he never misses a target, regardless of how far away or how terrible the conditions for shooting are. His blood-bonded was Uri Reiss, whose illusionary abilities can easily shroud Kenny’s position, allowing the sharpshooter to perform his deeds without worrying for someone chancing upon him. Everything ended when, after a long day of work, they were ambushed by Governor Reiss’ men. Kenny managed to kill them all – but not before losing Uri.

“What happens when a blood-bonded dies?” Erwin asks as he finishes cleaning his bloody tools.

Levi, strapped to the table as usual, only shrugs. “Hard to say. Uncle Kenny attacked Governor Reiss’ headquarters sometime later. He managed to get a lot of people, but not before getting killed himself.” There’s a hard, almost melancholy note in Levi’s voice as he speaks. “Governor Reiss… that bastard’s fucked up. He didn’t even show mercy to his own brother.”

Erwin purses his lips. He has many, many things to say about the government and how it’s run. His own father, a schoolteacher, was dragged away when Erwin was still young and tortured deep in the heart of Reiss’ headquarters. Everyone around Erwin insisted that his father had been a traitor to their country, but Erwin knew better: his father had stumbled upon a secret that the government did not want to let out. As a boy, Erwin himself had even been dragged in and questioned. He pretended to know nothing, of course; he was much too intelligent to say anything. And he knows that he can’t say anything now, not with that very government watching his every move.

“Isabel and Furlan didn’t like Reiss either,” Levi says, breaking Erwin from his thoughts. The prison physician pauses and looks over his shoulder, noting that Levi now looks quite pensive, though the cold fire in his eyes continues to burn. “Guess that’s why they got so attached to me. It was their mistake.” A strong bitter note enters Levi’s tone at that, his pale lips trembling slightly. “They… They shouldn’t have associated with me. I shouldn’t have let them talk me into a team-up with them. I… that warehouse raid was mine to do alone.”

It is the first time since Erwin has known him that Levi has mentioned his two associates Isabel Magnolia and Furlan Church, a superhuman with the gift of flight and an ungifted individual. For some reason or another, they were able to keep up with Levi and the three had formed their own little group. When Levi was arrested, the other two had been gunned down without mercy; no doubt, Rod Reiss only considered Levi worthy of being locked up permanently in Saint Ymir’s.

“… Do you regret what happened to them?” Erwin asks. He finishes putting away his tools and turns around, regarding Levi quietly. “Do you wish they could live again?”

Levi fixes his gaze upon him, those dark grey eyes flashing. “No. It’s better they’re dead. Death is better than this place.” A pause. “But I don’t regret coming here.”

“And why is that?”

For the first time, the ghost of a smile graces Levi’s pale face. “I found you.”

Before Erwin can respond, Levi is wheeled away, the appointment now over. He almost wants to punch Moblit in the face, though he knows that doing so will only invite trouble. For more than five minutes, he stands there, once again staring at the spot that Levi once occupied, wishing desperately for Mike’s powers so he can understand, so he can know what Levi means. And yet, there’s no denying it; those three words falling from Levi’s lips make his blood sing, and for a brief moment, he can almost feel something in him awaken.

But soon enough, he shakes his head and moves on with his day. Saint Ymir’s prisoners are here for a reason. They are agents of chaos unto themselves.

* * *

He meets the infamous Eren Jaeger only once during his time at Saint Ymir’s. He is seated alone at a table, nursing a cup of coffee and staring at the wall in front of him. His constant companion, Mikasa, has been placed into solitary for a month as punishment for spurning the advances of one of the more beloved guards. Erwin finds the very concept disgusting, yet knows there is nothing he or any other prisoner can do about it; the guards are known to abuse their power, and for those favored by Governor Reiss, any slight against them is grounds for death or worse.

He takes a seat across from Eren, two hot coffees in hand. The brand is hardly one Erwin enjoys, but he knows it is far superior to the brown drivel that the prisoners receive. He offers one silently to Eren, who takes it gratefully. As Eren drinks, he takes a good look at the prisoner: pale skin, long unkempt hair, yet no doubt hiding rippling muscles under that prison jumpsuit. His eyes are the most intense part of him: deep green, yet so bright they nearly rival the Pixis’.

“You must be the infamous Dr. Smith,” Eren says once he finishes his coffee and sets it aside. Erwin offers him the second cup, which again, Eren takes gratefully. “Mikasa’s told me about you. Heichou too.”

“Heichou?”

“Levi… I usually just use my one hour a week to talk to him and see how he’s doing. Mikasa and I used to call him that when we were younger.”

Prisoners of Saint Ymir’s are normally not allowed to speak to each other if they are separated by walls, save for a single hour a week. Even then, only Wall Maria prisoners are allowed to speak to those outside Saint Ymir’s, and the Underground’s prisoners are not afforded such a luxury. This strange restriction on speaking is an attempt to prevent prisoners from making plans and forming groups to overtake the guards. Thus far, it seems to be working.

“I must be a popular man,” Erwin remarks, his throat tightening somewhat at the mention of Levi’s name. It has been well over two weeks since he has last seen Levi. Erwin has been mulling over those three words ever since. “How is he doing?”

“Quite well. Better now that he’s found you.”

There are those words again. Erwin frowns as he looks Eren in the eye, trying to discern the meaning behind them. “He said much the same thing to me… but I have no idea what you or Levi are talking about.”

Eren rolls his eyes. “Do I need to spell it out for you? You’re his blood-bonded.”

If Erwin were a smarter man, he would deny it outright. He would order the guards to drag Eren into solitary and Levi back into the Underground, where he would never have to deal with either ever again. But Erwin is not that smart of a man, and instead, he finds himself once again thinking of those beautiful grey eyes, how they gazed upon him as though captivated, how they entranced him and how much he wanted to spring the man free from his prison and run away with him. His heart hammers, his breath stutters, and there is no denying the blood rising to his face at the mere thought of sharing such a strong, intimate bond with Levi. But that’s impossible; blood-bonds required perfectly compatible gifts, after all.

“I… I’m ungifted.”

Something flashes behind Eren’s green eyes at the words. “Are you sure about that?”

“What?”

“… I’m sorry. That was a strange thing to say.”

* * *

“This way, General Gross.”

Erwin absolutely hates inspection days. They are by far the dullest days of the quarter, and no doubt, the days when he must lie the most. This one is special; General Gross is visiting, and if Saint Ymir’s passes his inspection, Rod Reiss will be able to go out and brag to his constituents that he is successfully containing the nation’s worst criminals. Passing is merely a formality – Saint Ymir’s will pass so long as the prisoners are being given the worst treatment possible. It is only by Erwin’s own intervention and medical expertise that the guards are not outright allowed to torture and maim the prisoners.

“I must say, Smith, you’re a miracle worker. Saint Ymir’s has never looked so damned medical,” Gross says, letting out a loud bark of laughter. It takes Erwin everything he has not to wince as he almost robotically leads Gross through the halls.

Gross, much like his name, is one of the grossest imitations of humanity Erwin has ever seen. Despite his title as general, he is a short, chubby, and balding middle-aged man. He is popular among the populace because of his cruel, almost sadistic attitude towards the prisoners of Saint Ymir’s. Were it up to him, anyone with a gift would be thrown in here, regardless of whether or not they are heroes or villains. It is rumored that he once slew a little girl by setting rabid dogs on her merely because she had a gift – the ability to create sparks from her fingers. The girl had died a horribly gruesome, painful death, but Gross did not face justice; instead, he was commended for his bravery in the face of the ever-so-deadly sparkles.

“Saint Ymir’s medical team thanks you, General,” Erwin says. He steps aside to allow Gross into the medical bay.

Gross is about to speak again when something snaps above them, the medical bay suddenly plunging into darkness. Erwin glances over his shoulder briefly, cursing silently when he sees that the hallway lights are out as well. No electricity means no power. No power means-

A piercing shriek rocks throughout Saint Ymir’s, shattering the various glass cabinets and containers around the room and nearly taking Erwin’s ears along with it. This shriek is followed by a series of roars, then thundering footsteps as Eren’s half-brother, Zeke’s, gift takes hold; anyone he bites in his beast form can be transformed into an enormous grotesque monster known as a Titan merely from hearing his shriek. No doubt, the power being cut out has given Zeke ample opportunity to bite at least three and shriek some more.

“Smith! What was that!? The power’s out!” Gross shouts, irritating as ever. Erwin barely has time to open his mouth to tell him to be quiet before the wall to the medical bay is blown apart, dust filling the room. He feels the sudden rush of win as a large hand smashes through the hole and grabs hold of Gross – Erwin can hear the general kicking and screaming and fighting against the hand holding him, before the sickening crunch of muscles, bone, and organs squishing to jelly in a titanic mouth silences those screams forever.

He has to get out of here. He had no idea that one of Zeke’s victims would be so close to the medical bay. Without a single pause, he gets to his feet and charges for the door, blue eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness. He ducks and slides underneath the giant hand as it swipes at him, barely making it in the hallway to avoid the enormous arm. The Titan, its grotesque smile gleaming white in the darkness, gropes and reaches for him to no avail. Good. Perhaps it’ll stay there for just a bit longer.

Erwin begins running towards the only exit he knows: a door hidden in the cabinet underneath the coffee maker in the staff room near his office. Every staff member here is only allowed to know of one exit other than the main doors, another foolish security measure to attempt to keep the prisoners inside. Erwin knows all too well, however, that such a security measure is doing much more than keeping the prisoners in: it’s trapping the staff here too. After all, Reiss’ government would face horrendous backlash if it was ever revealed that Saint Ymir’s failed in any way. Better to let the staff die alongside the prisoners.

At some point, he nearly trips over a fallen guard. A quick search of the body later, he’s in possession of a simple Glock pistol. The gun is cold and heavy in his palm. The magazine is still fresh, but does not hold much at all. It would do little to deter the many powerful superhumans hidden deep in Saint Ymir’s, but some protection is better than none. If the various screams and roars in the distance are any indication, Erwin is in for an extremely trying day.

The darkness nearly swallows him as he once again takes off running towards the exit. The sounds of prisoners fighting, of gifts being used for the first time since getting sent to Saint Ymir’s, ring loudly in his ears. For a brief moment, he thinks of Levi; is he okay? Are his powers going wild? Was he responsible for this outage?

Should Erwin go find him?

The door to the staff room is in his sight, seeming to melt out of the shadows. Erwin’s heart hammers as he makes a beeline for the door, one hand reaching out and grabbing hold of the handle. He’s nearly out of here. All he needs to do is to open the door, and-

An explosion rocks the area around him, blowing Erwin back against a wall. More dust and debris fills the hallway as a large, hulking figure stands, blocking the way. What little light penetrates Saint Ymir’s gleams off of silvery armored plates placed all over the creature before him. Erwin knows him immediately: The Armored Titan, also known as Reiner Braun. He was one of Zeke’s accomplices, and now that the power keeping his gift-canceling collar on is out, he can once again embrace the gift that made him so feared.

“Dr. Smith,” Reiner grumbles, his voice halting and metallic as he strides forward and looms over him. “I never got to thank you for your work on me when I came in… and I don’t want to do this, but our orders are clear. No survivors.”

Erwin lifts his Glock with both hands and points it straight at Reiner. There are very, very few gaps in Reiner’s armor, and Erwin knows that he doesn’t have nearly enough bullets to penetrate them and save his life. Reiner himself is unmoved by the pistol; he smacks it aside easily. Erwin watches as his one and only weapon, useless in this situation, skitters away. Pursing his lips, he looks up at Reiner, looking straight into the cold, silvery eyes of his attacker.

What a terrible way to die.

“Oi, brat!”

Erwin’s head whips quickly in the direction of the voice, barely in time to see a dark blur leap up from a side hallway, hand stretching out to smack the Armored Titan in the face. Bathed in the silvery light, Levi nearly looks like the angel from whom he takes his name, beautiful and deadly, sharp as a blade and just as powerful. Where once a calm fire burned was now an inferno; there is a red light shining across those grey eyes so bright they nearly glow. The expression on Levi’s face is one of utter disgust and rage, his entire body crouched and tensed, ready to pounce.

In the same moment, he hears Reiner’s shout of surprise. The plates on his body melt away into nothing, as though he were never gifted with such an ability in the first place. Erwin clearly sees Reiner trying again and again to reinstate his armor to no avail; it is as though the slap had sapped away the Armored Titan’s powers, leaving nothing but the tall, muscular youth known as Reiner Braun underneath.

“What did you do!? WHAT DID YOU DO!?” Reiner snarls, baring his teeth. Even with the loss of his armor, he is clearly a danger to the both of them. “Where did my armor go!?”

“Right here.”

Before Reiner can respond, a silvery fist flies into his face, followed by an armored knee. Levi spins around midair, a bit slower than Erwin expects due to the armored plates covering his body, and slams both fists straight into Reiner’s head. The teen’s legs crumple beneath him as he collapses heavily, his skull slightly dented from the force of the blow. Erwin stares opened-mouthed in shock as Levi straightens, muttering about how much he hates blood, and allows the armor to melt away.

“You okay, Smith?” the man known as Azrael asks as he looks over his shoulder to regard Erwin. The cold fire is back in his eyes, though the strange red glow remains. Erwin manages a slow nod as he gets up, using the wall to steady himself.

“Th-Thank you,” he manages to say, breathing slowly in an attempt to quell his heartbeat. “I don’t… I don’t think I would’ve been able to survive without you.”

For a moment, Levi says nothing. Erwin can feel those grey eyes boring into him, as though examining him for any sign of trouble. Then, seemingly deciding that he was as harmless as can be, Levi steps up to him. For the first time, Erwin notices their difference in height; Levi is a good foot shorter than him, yet the way he carries himself makes him seem so much taller.

With Levi standing so close to him, he can see every detail that he would not have been able to see in his doctor’s office. He sees the slight wrinkles around the other man’s eyes, the dark circles beneath them. Those thin, pale lips part slightly as those dark eyes rise to Erwin’s height. Levi’s lips are warm, but not chapped, and they shape perfectly and smoothly to match Erwin’s. Their kiss is gentle, yet electrifying, one that sends shivers down Erwin’s spine and halts all thought. There is nothing desperate about this kiss; and Erwin curses himself mentally for finding it so addictive, so beautiful, so _absolutely empowering_ -

“Do me a favor and hold that armor for me,” Levi whispers as they break the kiss, taking a step back. Erwin blinks stupidly, his blood still rushing in his ears. Something seems to settle deep inside him, as though ready to curl up and go into deep hibernation. He doesn’t understand.

“Hold… the armor?” he asks. Levi nods, but gives no explanation. Instead, he takes Erwin’s hand – what a strong grip, Erwin notes – and begins tugging him down the other hall.

“A bunch of government idiots are guarding the exit you’re trying to get to,” Levi says. “So we need to leave some other way.”

“We?” Erwin asks, his feet moving automatically to follow Levi. For some odd reason, Levi’s touch comforts him, despite knowing in his mind that, regardless of how Levi treats him, the man is still a highly dangerous criminal. There is a reason, after all, why Levi was initially sent to the Underground.

“Me, Mike, Hange, and a few brats,” Levi says, still tugging him along. “You can come with us. You know as well as I do that there’s no way Reiss is gonna keep you alive after this mess. We can go hang out somewhere until we’re all safe, then take back this damn country.”

“There’s no way the heroes or government would let us,” Erwin says.

“Since when have any of us cared what those idiots think?” Levi snorts. “Heroes… you and I both know that they’re just working for compensation and glory and all that shit. And the government’s even worse. There’s some kinda secret about this world, isn’t there? Something that no one else wants us to find out.”

To that, Erwin has no response. His father, however, would have had one. There was indeed a secret to the world. Erwin did not yet know exactly what, but whatever it was, his father paid for it and died. No doubt, Reiss’ government wanted desperately to keep such a secret hidden and would go to any lengths to make sure it stayed that way. Perhaps it truly is time for him to cast off the disguise he had so carefully built of a physician and employee loyal to his government and embrace who he truly is: a broken, desperate, almost childish man who wants nothing more than to prove his father’s theories correct and usher this world towards a better future.

They walk in complete silence for a long while, the only words between them being Levi’s occasional muttering about the cleanliness of the prison. They manage, for the most part, to pass through both Wall Sina and Wall Rose without any trouble, save for Levi occasionally stopping to examine a prisoner’s corpse. Sometimes, he would lightly tap the corpse before coming over and taking Erwin’s hands, but for the most part, he wrinkles his nose and keeps walking.

The entire prison is a mess. Everywhere Erwin looks, there are bodies or body parts littered all over the floor. The moment the collars were turned off, all Hell likely broke loose, and the guards and prisoners alike were the unfortunate victims. Here and there, Erwin sees various stains of blood and organs strewn about, as well as the remains of a Titan’s meal. It seems that those strange creatures have caused the most damage, as there is also debris thrown everywhere.

They are nearly about to enter the hallway to Wall Maria before someone stops them. Several military men – General Gross’ official guards from the looks of their uniforms – draw rifles on them as they approach. From the wild look in their eyes, it is clear that they are responsible for many of the deaths in this room, and are completely prepared to cause a few more. Erwin only has time to shove Levi behind him and lift his arms as they opened fire-

And the bullets clink off the silvery armor plates.

For a brief moment, Erwin and the guards can only look in shock. As though it were a reflex for him, Erwin had covered himself in the same silvery armor that had once covered Reiner and Levi. However, before he has time to process what had just happened, Levi is charging forward, neatly sliding underneath the guards’ guns and sweeping his leg towards their knees, knocking all three off their feet. Quick as lightning, his hand reaches out and slaps one across the face, before he’s running back to Erwin, quickly jumping up and caressing his armored cheek.

“You might wanna take a deep breath,” Levi says as he drops to the floor and rolls behind him.

Erwin obeys. Without melting away the armor, he fills his lungs with a single, huge breath and exhales it out, watching in shock as fire comes out of his mouth. The very back of his throat burns as he continues to breathe fire, the guards crying out in fear and backing away. One of them looks like he’s attempting to do the same thing to no avail; he quickly gets burnt to a crisp. The other two attempt to escape into the dark hall, only for their fearful cries to be silenced by the explosion of gunfire and the sickening sounds of bullets piercing flesh. Out from the hallway steps three familiar figures, Moblit breathing hard and gripping his smoking gun with trembling hands.

“Whoa! I know Vesta and Fontus are supposed to be powerful, but I didn’t think they were _that_ good!” Hange says as she pushes Moblit aside and runs up to Erwin, who has by now run out of breath and is no longer breathing fire. She reaches out to touch him, only for her hand to be smacked aside; Levi steps forward protectively, his eyes once again attaining that red glow.

“Levi, it’s alright,” Erwin says. He surprises himself when his voice comes out just as metallic as Reiner’s earlier. “I have a lot of questions myself.” He pauses while Hange quickly knocks on his cheek, then pulls her hand away. “Like what in the world is Vesta and Fontus?”

“It’s a name Hange gave yours and Levi’s gifts,” Mike says, emerging from the hall behind Moblit. His collar is already off and he’s smirking, stormy blue eyes twinkling. “You’re Vesta, he’s Fontus. Believe it or not, you’ve got a gift. It’s completely useless on its own, but perfectly compatible with Levi’s.”

“I can steal gifts and use them… but only one at a time,” Levi says. He shakes his head, scowling. “Whenever I take a new gift, the old one always goes back to its owner. It’s a damned nuisance, especially if I’m surrounded. You, though… you can’t steal any gifts, but you can store them. And you can use more than one at a time.” He gestures to the charred corpse of the guard who was once able to breathe fire. “You’re basically like a storage box for me to stick things in and take out whenever I need them. ‘course, I don’t know what would happen if I steal two from you, but I’m sure four-eyes over here will run tests on you until you’re bleeding out of your dick.”

“Actually, I _am_ curious to see if it’s all over the skin. Do you think if Levi has sex with a victim, he’ll still be able to-“

“Erm, sorry to interrupt,” Moblit says as he cocks his gun and looks over his shoulder. “But some of Zeke’s Titans are still on the loose somewhere and Eren’s diversion isn’t going to work for long. If we’re gonna get outta here alive, we need to leave now.”

Hange lets out a loud groan and shakes her head. “Man, do you always have to be such a downer? How come we teamed up with you again? Something about your parents?”

“… I mean… yes? Reiss killed my parents… and I’m the one that cleans the room with the power generator…”

“Either way, we’ll need Erwin to lead us out,” Mike says. He flashes a small smile in Erwin’s direction. “My gift can tell me everything about you, but it doesn’t tell me everything about Saint Ymir’s. The front door’s blockaded right now… think you can help us find any other exits?”

Erwin pauses for a moment to think. He has not been taught any other exit to Saint Ymir’s, but he is almost certain he knows at least three more. With a team like this at his disposal, there is no doubt in his mind that they would be able to find them all. Without another word, he turns around and takes Levi’s hand. It’s best to check the Underground first.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

_The Eldian Enquirer_ is considered to be one of the worst papers the island of _Paradis_ has ever seen. Known for publishing sensationalist news stories about aliens and mysterious underground cities, it has long been scoffed at as little more than silly pieces of fiction that wannabe writers write when they cannot break out into the writing world. Today’s article is no different, as it is being met with the same amount of scoff and eye-rolls that all of its articles always has.

Governor Rod Reiss, however, clutches onto the paper with shaking, sweating hands. For even though the _Enquirer_ has sensationalist news stories, there is always a kernel of truth found somewhere in its pages. In this case, it is the break out at Saint Ymir’s – an event kept completely hidden from the public, so much so that Reiss has ensured that every single soul involved with the event was quietly executed. Even General Gross’ highest ranking men.

No one can know. No one can know about his failure. His seat of power would be on the line, challenged by the people his family has always protected from the terror of gifted ones.

Still, he is terrified. There is no denying the names that are splayed across the pages of the paper, the pictures and sketches of nightmares come to life:

_Sergeant Electro, alias Moblit Berner; Gift: Technopathy_

_Dr. Mengele, alias Hange Zoe; Gift: Superhuman Intellect_

_Oracle, alias Mike Zacharius; Gift: Existence Osmosis_

_Azrael, alias Levi Ackerman; Gift: Unknown_

_Lucifer, alias Erwin Smith; Gift: Unknown_

_EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SUPERHUMAN GROUP. TRAITORS TO THE GOVERNMENT. KILL ON SIGHT._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I may visit this universe again with more Levi and Erwin escapades. :)


End file.
